1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of gutters and downspouts, and in particular to an outlet tube for connection of a downspout with a gutter, and a method for making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The typical prior art gutter systems include a gutter which is mounted horizontally on the eaves of a building, and a downspout which is connected with the gutter and directed vertically along the building to deliver the water to the ground. The downspout is connected with the gutter by an outlet tube which is a generally rectangular shaped box which is open at both ends and which at the top end includes outwardly extending flanges for reception upon the floor of the gutter for securement of the outlet tube to the gutter.
In the prior art, the usual method for making the outlet tube is a "deep drawing" process in which the appropriate metal is drawn through dies or a series of progressive dies, and is then passed through a "cut die" to remove any extraneous material. Aluminum is the common material for making outlet tubes, and in the deep drawing process is used as a "zero hard" alloy which provides a composition which will not crack in the drawing process. In the process of forming the outlet tube in the punch press dies, the aluminum is work hardened and therefore the zero hard alloy is required. Because of these special requirements of the deep drawing process on the properties of the metal, the material costs for this process are high. It is therefore desirable to provide an outlet tube, and a method for making the same, which does not require special alloys and which also is simple and readily accomplished without expensive machinery.
Another aspect of the prior art is the provision of an inward taper of the outlet tube in the direction away from the flanges so that the downspout can be readily received around the rectangular box portion of the outlet tube. Since the outlet tube does not provide for any simple alteration to modify the degree of taper, it is necessary to provide the outlet tube with a taper which is sufficient for all purposes. For example, the taper would have to be sufficient so that a person installing a downspout at ground level can direct the upper end of the downspout over the outlet tube from a considerable distance away from the gutter. As a result, the outlet tubes have a greater taper than would usually be desired, and the area available for drainage into the downspout is diminished, sometimes by as much as one-third. It is therefore also desirable to provide an outlet tube which can be readily modified to provide an inward taper away from the flanges, but which does not provide a greater taper than necessary for a given circumstance. It is also desirable to provide an outlet tube which is of a thinner wall construction to further maximize the area available for drainage, as opposed to the deep drawn outlet tubes of the prior art which due to the nature of the forming process will have substantial wall thicknesses.